Grant Dawson debates Batman's no-kill rule ahead of UFC 333 clash with Aliev

UFC lightweight Grant Dawson has returned to the Anything But Fighting show alongside host José Youngs, picking up where he left off on one of his most passionate topics: Batman’s “no killing” rule, which Dawson remains firmly opposed to.

The conversation ranged across DC animation, with Dawson voicing his appreciation for the Justice League and Teen Titans animated series while also taking aim at Superman’s reputation as a “boy scout.” It is a side of the fighter that sits in sharp contrast to his methodical, suffocating style inside the octagon.

Dawson (24-3-1) is scheduled to face Nurullo Aliev at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi. He heads into the bout in good form after choking out Mateusz Rębecki at UFC 328 in May, a result that put him back in the win column following a knockout defeat to Manuel Torres at UFC 323.

The Abu Dhabi card will be a significant test of how far Dawson has bounced back. His grappling credentials are well established — he holds the UFC lightweight record for highest control time percentage at 69.7 percent and ranks second in top-position percentage at 62.3 percent — but Torres exposed questions about his durability when struck cleanly.

For now, though, Dawson’s attention is at least partly fixed on the moral philosophy of Gotham City.